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Catherine's Kitchen

Catherine Manning

Faraway

FORTY ONE YEARS AGO (I was just a young thing then!) my father did a momentous thing, he bought "Faraway."

Barbados is a small island, but nevertheless with the long summer holidays I think my mother went ballistic with the six of us and strays. She never knew where we were or what we were up to, so she decided that we should find a "bay house" or holiday home to keep us out of mischief. I'm not quite sure how she arrived at that conclusion however we ended up with "Faraway."

We lived at Westmoreland on the west coast and "Faraway" is on the east coast. My mother loved the Bathsheba coast(north-east) my father hated it, said it was too gloomy at night, I see his point. The south was out of the question. One evening my mother was at a cocktail party and mentioned to someone she knew that they were looking for a "bay house" to buy on the east coast, he blithely said "I'll sell you Faraway for $7000.00 (house & 8 acres plus half the bay)." My mother had heard terrible things about "Faraway" and replied that he couldn't give it to her. However, she was wise enough to mention it to my father and they took a drive the next day. The deal was sealed that night over the phone.

"Faraway" is almost 100 years old, it has withstood hurricanes and is now withstanding me. It was originally a Boer hut. During the Boer war in South Africa, some genius of an Englishman decided that they would send the Boer prisoners to Barbados! As a result of his thoughts, "THEY" whoever "they" were, built these huts or wooden barracks on the pasture behind this house. No prisoners ever came, so eventually the huts were bought by individuals, removed and set in other locations. However, "Faraway" moved no more than quarter of a mile. We bought it in 1959 and moved in for the summer holidays. By the end of September "Faraway" was no longer a "hut" it was a completely renovated home. We slept on the floor, outside, wherever, but it was fun. I moved in two years ago permanently (as far as I'm concerned) and I haven't been forgiven yet, as my mother used to rent it on a regular basis to certain people. So I stepped on several corns, but do I care "NO". I have renovated, built a new kitchen and made it very liveable and I'm sure my father in the great beyond, is as happy as I am!

The area is actually called Skeetes Bay and is a fishing village, which naturally suited my father very well as at that point there were 17 fishing boats in the bay. We had fish in abundance and he didn't have to do the work! Apart from the King Fish, Snapper, Mahi Mahi, Flying Fish etc. there were Lobsters and Sea Eggs(sea urchins). Both the Lobster and Sea Eggs are protected now as they have been fished out, hopefully they will be back. To some extent progress rears it's ugly head, but it still remains a fishing village and the people retain their family values. Tonight I heard a shout which set the dogs barking, but when I went to the fence, I was handed a 20lb Dolphin (Mahi Mahi). Nothing better than fresh fish.

We use a lot of seasoning in the Caribbean. I make my own which is a mixture of fresh chive, thyme, marjoram, parsley, onion, garlic, basil, hot pepper etc. This might sound strange but it's not really, we add a little bit of this or that depending on whether it's meat or fish! It's really a matter of taste, and with fish especially, preparation is important if you want to be rid of the fishy taste.

FRIED STEAK FISH

Allow 8ozs. fish per person. Mahi Mahi, King fish, Snapper etc.

Clean fish, removing skin, bones and any brown parts. Cut into steaks. Wash and drain and rub with lime and salt and leave to soak refrigerated for about an hour, turning occasionally. Wash and dry. After this I use my seasoning and rub the fish thoroughly and leave it soaking in the fridge till I'm ready to fry, even overnight.

You need:

• Flour to dredge.
• 2 eggs beaten in approx.: 1 cup of milk. This depends on the amount of fish to be fried so adjust to suit.
• Breadcrumbs.
• Oil to fry.

Dredge fish in flour shaking off excess, using fork put one piece of fish in bowl with eggs to cover and drain off excess, then dredge with breadcrumbs, shaking off excess. Repaet with the remaining fish. Let dry on plate for a little and then fry in hot oil till golden on both sides. I tend to have the oil about half way up the sides of the fish. Use a frying pan which won't stick, also if the oil and pan are hot enough it shouldn't stick. Serve hot with slices of lime or sauce of your choice.

SEASONING

I make seasoning in large quantities so the following is just a guideline,

• Chive:   6 fresh stalks
• Thyme:   1 small bundle of fine leaf
• Garlic:   3 cloves peeled
• Onions:   2 medium peeled
• Salt & pepper to taste or 1/2 tsp. each, hot pepper to taste.
• White vinegar to taste or 2 TBS. plus a little lime juice to taste.
• Add other herbs parsley etc. to your taste.

Clean everything and add to blender or food processor, season to taste. Mixture should be liquid but not runny. Put in clean sterilised jars. May be kept in fridge once opened but I find it has a very good life otherwise. Experiment, this may be used for all meat, chicken etc.

Bon Appetit
Cath